Commander takes no offence over PM’s private phone call
2nd army chief stays calm amid fallout from private call scandal
The Commander of the 2nd Army expressed his understanding after being mentioned in a private phone call between Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and Cambodian President Hun Sen.
PM Paetongtarn was accused of positioning herself against the Thai armed forces, particularly 2nd Army Commander Boonsin “Big Kung” Padklang, due to remarks made during her conversation with Hun Sen, yesterday, June 18.
“I don’t want uncle (Hun Sen) to listen to the other side that is against us, like that 2nd Army commander. I don’t want uncle to feel angry about what the other side said. He (Big Kung) said it to make himself look cool, but it wasn’t useful for the country. It wasn’t what the Thai government wanted.”
The PM clarified her comments at a press conference yesterday, June 18, stating that her remarks were merely a negotiating tactic aimed at calming Hun Sen, after learning via an interpreter that he was angered by a prior statement made by the commander.
The Thai premier denied viewing the commander as her opponent, saying her message was misunderstood. She said she intended to urge Hun Sen not to take the commander’s words seriously.
She explained that Thailand and Cambodia were now on opposing sides, and it was therefore unsurprising for certain military figures to express negative opinions.
Big Kung later told the media that the 38 year old Thai PM called him to clear up the misunderstanding and explained the context of her comments. He insisted he did not take offence.
“It’s nothing to me. I understand the situation. We’ve already spoken. It’s all fine. I’m focused on continuing my work for the nation and the public good.”
Big Kung received a wave of support from Thai netizens and residents in the border areas. Many expressed their gratitude to him and his troops for protecting local communities and defending the kingdom.
The respected abbot of Sawan Samakkhi Thammawanaram Temple, Luang Pu Sudjai Phattapanyo, yesterday, donated 1 million baht to the 2nd Army to support its border operations.
Big Kung received the donation on behalf of the army and was also given a personal blessing by the abbot, who said…
“May you be happy, prosperous, and successful. May you have everything you desire. I don’t usually speak much, but in this case, I am giving my full support to the commander.”
Big Kung promised the abbot that the donation would be used to benefit the border troops as effectively as possible.
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